Names in tax declarations should be of actual owners

PROPERTY sellers are warned to ensure that the tax declarations carry the new owner's name to avoid high surcharges in paying real property tax.

City Assessor’s Officer Jerry Tizon during a media forum held last week, said that many previous property owners face the consequences of paying surcharges and unpaid property tax because they failed to transfer the names in the tax declaration listed in the CAO.

“Ang nangyayari kasi, ang buyer ng property prino-process ang transfer ng property at mataposang transfer and makuha yung titulo, pinapabayaan na yung tax declaration, doon sa amin naka-record pa sa previous owner tapos ang property nasa new owner na," he said.

Tizon said that new owners are required to get tax declaration from the City Assessors and Tax Clearance from the City Treasurer’s Office, but most of them fail to do so.

These previous owners cannot renew their business permits without paying taxes and surcharges.

Tizon said that under Section 202 and 203 of the Local government code, it is the duty of the property owner to declare the property to the City Assessor and the new owners should not just stop processing documents after they get the copy of their title from the Registry of deeds.

“You must transfer the tax declaration under your name, and if you are the previous owner probably the least you can help is to follow up the buyer so that the tax declaration will be transferred, so that you won’t pay for surcharge or penalties,” Tizon said.

“It is not our duty or authority to condone properties for the reason na hindi ko na property ito, we cannot just accept the reason para tanggalin ang inyong surcharges," Tizon added. (KVC)